328 ORCHIDACEAE 
scales: bracts 5-10 mm. long, lanceolate or ovate: sepals greenish, linear, 2-5 cm. long, 
attenuate : lateral petals similar to the sepals: lip shorter than the petals, purple, entire ; 
blade orbicular-reniform, 2-2.5 cm. broad : capsules oblong, 3-3.5 cm. long. 
In forests, peninsular Florida. Also in tropical America. 
4. Epidendrum erythronioides Small. Plants tufted, 1-2 dm. tall. Leaves 3 at 
the base of the flowering stem, two of them with narrowly spatulate blades 6-12 cm. long 
and scarcely sheathing, and one much smaller and sheathing the lower part of the flower- 
ing stem : bracts deciduous: perianth persistent : sepals broadly linear, or the lateral ones 
linear-elliptic, 10-11 mm. long, acuminate : lateral petals similar to the lateral sepals : lip 
rhombic-obovate, slightly shorter than the lateral petals, 4-5 mm. wide, entire : capsules 
elliptic or oval-elliptie, about 3 cm. long, lustrous. í 
On trees, Key Largo, Florida. Summer and fall. 
5. Epidendrum rigidum Jacq. Plants tufted, 1-4 dm. tall. Flowering stems com- 
pletely sheathed by the leaf-bases: leaf-blades oblong, 4-8 cm. long, obtuse, leathery, ap- 
proximate : bracts ovate, 1-1.5 cm. long: perianth greenish : sepals oblong or ovate-ob- 
long, 5-7 mm. long, acutish : lateral petals linear, about as long as the sepals: lip small ; 
blade deltoid-reniform, 2-2.5 mm. long, with 2 callosities near the base: column dentic- 
ulate, adnate to the claw of the lip: capsules oblong or ovoid, 15-18 mm. long, beaked. 
On trees, southern peninsular Florida. Also in tropical America. 
6. Epidendrum noctürnum L. Plants 3-7 dm. high. Stems sheathed by the leaf- 
bases : leaf-blades oblong to linear, 8-15 cm. long, obtuse, spreading or ascending : perianth 
white or yellowish : sepals and lateral petals linear, attenuate, 4-6 cm. long: lip 3-cleft, 
the lateral segments ovate-oblong, the terminal segment linear-setaceous, surpassing the lat- 
eral : capsules 3-4 cm. long, each narrowed into a beak at the apex and a stipe at the base. 
On trees, peninsular Florida. Also in tropical America. 
7. Epidendrum umbellàtum Sw. Plants1-3 dm. tall. Stems rather stout, sheathed 
by the leaf-blades, simple: leaves several ; blades leathery, oblong, 4-8 cm. long, obtuse, 
spreading: flowers in nearly sessile umbel-like clusters: bracts ovate or oblong-ovate, rather 
thin: perianth green: sepals oblong or a little broadened upward, about 1 cm. long: 
lateral petals almost similar to the sepals but narrower or sometimes linear: lip orbicu- 
lar-reniform, notched, obscurely 3-lobed: column straight: capsules about 1.5 cm. long, 
constricted at the apex, each narrowed into a slender angled pedicel-like base. 
In the everglades, peninsular Florida. Also in tropical America. 
32. POLYSTACHYA Hook. 
Caulescent herbs inhabiting trees. Stems scape-like above. Leaves few, 2-ranked, 
blades not plaited, sheathing at the base, reduced to sheathing scales above. Flowers in a 
terminal panicle. Perianth not showy. Sepals various, one narrow, two broader, gibbous, 
converging. Lateral petals rather similar to the narrow sepal, but smaller, often much nar- 
rower. Lip sessile, jointed, abruptly bent at the base, 3-lobed. Anther free, lid-like. 
Pollen-masses 4, waxy, hemispheric, unappendaged. Capsules more or less elongated. 
1. Polystachya minüta (Aubl.) Britton. Leaves sheathing the lower part of the 
stem ; blades leathery, oblong or broadly linear, 1-3 dm. long, the sheathing bases per- 
sistent. Flowering stems scape-like, 3-6 dm. long, paniculate above, with sheathing scales: 
perianth greenish yellow: sepals various, the middle one oblong or ovate-oblong, 4 mm. 
long, obtuse, the 2 lateral obliquely ovate, acute, longer : lateral petals linear or slightly 
broadened upward, acute, much shorter than the sepals: lip obovate or cuneate, folded 
up against the lateral sepals, 4 mm..long, hairy within, with 2 small incurved lateral lobes 
and a broad notched middle lobe : capsules usually 1 em. long. [P. luteola Hook. ] 
On trees, peninsular Florida. Also in tropical America. 
33. HEXALECTRIS Raf. 
Succulent herbs, with scaly coral-like rootstocks. Stems scape-like. Leaves reduced 
to sessile scales. Flowers few, in a loose terminal raceme. Sepals and lateral petals rather 
similar. Lip broadened upward, 3-lobed with several crested ridges, neither spurred nor 
gibbous. Column short, free, slightly incurved. Anther lid-like, at the apex of the 
column. Pollen-masses 8, aggregated in a cluster. Capsules drooping, on short pedicels. 
1. Hexalectris aphyllus (Nutt.) Raf. Foliage glabrous. Stems 1-5 dm. tall, stout, 
scape-like : leaves (scales) sheathing or sessile : raceme 5-30 cm. long, interrupted : periant 
brownish purple, striped with lighter purple: sepals linear-oblong or elliptic, more or less 
curved, 1.5-2 cm. long, acutish : lateral petals similar to the sepals but slightly shorter : 
